Nokian celebrates the 80th anniversary of its Hakkapeliitta tire

Nokian’s very first winter tire, the Kelirengas, was invented in Finland in 1934; however, it was only used for trucks and buses. Two years later, Nokian’s passenger car version, the Hakkapeliitta, was developed.

The most important feature of the original winter tire was its deep tread – at that time it was normal to drive on snow. Gradually roads started to be maintained and sanded. Tires thus had to do well on ice and smooth snow, and on clean asphalt too. That’s why a special mixture and further innovations were necessary. In 1961, the first studded tire, the Kometa-Hakkapeliitta was introduced and used by Finnish rally drivers in the Monte Carlo rally in the 1960s. In the 1970s, a non-studded version of the tire was developed.

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Rachel's career in journalism began around five years ago when she started working for UKi Media & Events, having recently graduated from Coventry University where she studied the subject. Her favourite aspect of the job is interviewing industry experts, including researchers, scientists, engineers and technicians, and learning more about the ground-breaking technologies and innovations that are shaping the future of the automotive and tire industries.